1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a protector for an inlet to a sewer system.
More specifically, the invention relates to a protector, which permits the flow of water into a sewer system while preventing the flow of silt, oil, tar and other contaminants into the system.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
When constructing new subdivisions, some of the first steps are to build roads and to install sewer systems. There is a lot of traffic into and out of a building project, and when it rains, vehicles carry large quantities of mud and other contaminants onto existing roadways. As a result large quantities of polluting contaminants get washed into sewer systems. A need exists for a solution to this pollution problem.
Bags and other devices for preventing the entry of contaminants into catch basins and other parts of sewer systems are disclosed by Canadian Patent No. 2,143,984, issued to J. E. Hutter Jr. et al on May 16, 2000, Canadian Patent Application No. 2,226,474, published in the name of J. B. Lamb on Jul. 8, 1998, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,345,741, issued to H. O. Slater on Sep. 13, 1994; U.S. Pat. No. 5,632,888, issued to A. W. Chinn et al on May 27, 1997; U.S. Pat. No. 5,743,674, issued to P. E. Healy on Apr. 28, 1998; U.S. Pat. No. 5,948,250, issued to D. G. Middleton on Sep. 7, 1999; U.S. Pat. No. 6,010,622, issued to A. W. Chinn et al on Jan. 4, 2000; U.S. Pat. No. 6,059,964, issued to D. M. Strawser Sr. on May 9, 2000 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,274,036, issued to D. Ellis on Aug. 14, 2000.
Some of the devices described in the above-listed references are in the form of filter bags for removable mounting in a catch basin opening. Thus, they require some form of mounting system, and consequently would be expensive to produce, somewhat difficult to install and dangerous to remove. Others of the devices are intended for above ground use, i.e. for mounting on top of a grate or sewer cover, and one system is in the form of an envelope for receiving a sewer cover which would quickly become clogged when sediment laden water enters the sewer system, and is not adapted to handle overflow or storm water. Moreover, many existing apparatuses are ill-suited to above ground use. When trucks and other heavy equipment are constantly moving over an area, there is a good chance that the sewer protecting apparatus will get run over. When this occurs, the apparatus will be destroyed, severely damaged and/or moved out of position over the sewer grate on which it is mounted.